Chelsea Savoy Hotel

This big, boxy building on a busy street corner is home to friendly service and surprisingly affordable rates. Despite the local bustle, its Chelsea location is a welcome relief from the often tourist-filled frenzy of Midtown. Consequently, you'll enjoy dining and drinking with real Manhattanites and not lumpy, wide-eyed tourists. One of the walls of the hotel's lobby is plastered with framed autographs of the celebrities who have rested their weary heads down here. The rooms are spacious by Manhattan standards and the furniture is made of real wood---not the glossy Formica you'll find in suburban hotel chains. There's also cable TV for when you need a breather from the dynamic surroundings.